Meet Bella the Beagle

Meet Bella, a beautiful and charming little beagle. Bella is the sister of Baxter, a larger and most elegant animal whose portrait you will find below in this blog.

Carole and Ruby- two lovely ladies

Ruby was a rescue dog who recently passed away, and I wanted to commemorate the relationship she had with Carole. At first I was going to paint the regal Ruby by herself. But Carole is a special person and I thought she'd be alot of fun to paint. When Ruby was with Carole, she would smile alot,and the same with Carole when she was with Ruby. So I painted both of them with their characteristic smiles.

A Beautiful Tribute to a Special Friend

What is it about a painting that is different from a photograph? A painting captures part of the personality of the subject of the painting, and part that of the artist. It's hard to avoid that.

A great Mother's Day gift!

"I am Michael Utkus' wife and Baxter's mom. Words cannot express how much I love the oil painting of Baxter!! It is wonderful and it certainly was a fabulous Mother's Day present. The painting hangs prominently in our dining room and it makes me smile every time I walk by.What is particularly striking is how you captured his spirit/expression. His eyes are soulful and he's looking at me in that picture the way he often looks at me - as if to say "what's up?" or "when are we going for a walk?" or " A TREAT???"Thanks again! You did a fantastic job and I love it!! Best, Fran"

And I think Baxter also looks quite pleased with his portrait.

I can work with you to keep your portrait a surprise. Barbara

Baxter's father

Baxter is a terrific pet, sweet and dignified. I got to meet him in person and shoot some pictures, and of course that's best because the computer monitor distorts colors, and printers also distort colors.

I had painted the background with sky at first and took it out; I still think that a portrait is best with a plain background that brings out the best in the coloring of your pet. Unless the background is meaningful to you, I'd leave it more or less a plain, rich color.

Paint a memory of your pet-

-"Choppers" This wonderful family pet has passed away. His portrait hangs in the house as a reminder that somewhere, somehow, he is watching over the family, still. And the family knows that he is romping in the gardens pulling up the plants and stalking birds as always.

Here's Tina-

Here's a little spitfire ,"Tina", at rest. Can you imagine what your pet would look like in a 20 x 24 painting? Or how about 36 x 36? Of course, small paintings can be done if you prefer.

e mail me at draw.art@verizon.net

to discuss your pet portrait!